1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flavoring compound for foodstuffs and a process for preparing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flavoring and compounds having cereal, toasted cereal, corny, nutty, bready characteristics are known and used within the food industry. However, to-date, keto-imines are not known to possess any useful properties let alone to possess such flavoring characteristics.
Articles published on the subject of cereal volatiles indicate that keto-imines have not been identified with such volatiles. Some of the more common and useful flavoring compounds are pyrazines and pyrrolizine along with their derivatives. Pyrazine and some pyrazine-derivatives are generally accepted as having a cereal, toasted, nutty character while pyrrolizine and some pyridine-derivatives have been identified as having a corny, nutty, bready character.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,723 issued to Dombrow discloses a reaction of alkyl ketones using an acid clay catalyst to produce an imine which is further reduced to form a secondary amine. The present invention reacts diketones under basic conditions to produce a keto-imine containing a conjugated carbonyl imine group. Dombrow has no conjugated carbonyl imine groups and the Dombrow product is an organic intermediate possessing no useful aroma.
The imine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,681 issued to Blomberg et al. is an alkyl or aralkyl imine for use as an intermediate in polymer, antioxidant or medical compounds. The Blomberg et al. imine has the structure of: ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are alkyl or aromatic. The Blomberg et al. imines do not include the conjugated carbonyl imines.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,710 issued to Rizzi does disclose a flavor. However, the products of Rizzi are imines from aldehydes and not diketones. Further, the Rizzi imine has the structure: ##STR3## or R.sup.2 --CH.sub.2 N.dbd.CH--R.sup.3 where R.sup.1 is a branched alkyl group and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are isobutyl groups. Rizzi discloses the use of furfuryl amine as the nitrogen source. Further, the aroma of the Rizzi imine is chocolate.
None of the above inventions disclose the use of keto-imines as a flavoring compounds for use in food products and the like. The keto-imines produced by the present inventor possess a nutty corn, cereal flavor and can be incorporated into other food products thus imparting or enhancing an acceptable cereal flavor to said food products.
The objects of the present invention is therefore, a new flavoring compound for food and the like and a process for preparing the same.